Violin string anchoring means



Oct. 28, 1941. w. c. REPASS VIOLIN STRING ANCHQRING MEANS Filed Jan. 28, 1959 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 VIOLIN STRING ANCHORING MEANS Walter C. Repass, Portland, reg., assignor of one-half to Dr. Fred D. Luse, Portland, Oreg.

Application January 28, 1939, Serial No. 253,369

2 Claims.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an anchor for the G string of a violin, which permits a free fastening and a free removal of the string and the anchor from the tail piece of the violin.

A further object of my invention is to increase the useful life of the G string of the violin by providing means whereby the end of a broken G strin may be reattached to the instrument by means of my device. It is well known that a violin string, and particularly a G string is most likely to rupture at the point of attachment to the tail piece of the instrument and heretofore uch rupture has necessitated the discarding of the G string inasmuch as the gimp winding thereon has precluded the possibility of reattaching the string to the tail piece directly.

It is also well known that a G string which has been in use for a time maintains a tone fidelity impossible to achieve with a newly applied string, due to the inherent stretchability of a new string which condition is overcome after a short'period of use but which necessitates frequent tuning of the instrument in the meantime.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means whereby in case of G string breakage a violin may be restored to operating condition in minimum time. The repair of the G string by the attachment of my device can be effected in much less time than that required for the substitution of a new string.

And a still further object of my invention consists in facilitating the anchoring and replacement of the strings of musical instruments and which is particularly adapted for use upon violins in the anchoring of the strings of the same.

With these and incidental objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of the body of a violin showing one of my new and improved devices installed thereon and illustrating the G string attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the tail piece of a violin with one of my new and improved anchors shown attached to the tail piece and illustrating the G string as being attached to the free end of the anchor piece in a perfected manner.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the anchor shown removed from the violin and illustrating the G string as being attached thereto.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the anchor illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the anchor and a fragmentary sectional side view of the tail piece illustrating the anchor in place and in position within and attached to the tail piece.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

I is a violin body havin bridge 2 and tail piece 3. A plurality of holes 4 are disposed in the free end of the tail piece, and are spaced apart in the usual manner to provide a proper positioning for the respective strings of the violin. A hole 5 is provided at one side in which the G string is to be attached. The respective holes 4 and the hole for the G string 5 are preferably so made that an enlargement 6 comprises the major portion of the respective string fastening holes. A lit 1 is provided at the bridge end of the respective holes. The G string is shown at 8 and an anchor 9 is provided. The anchor 9 has a substantially right angular bend disposed between its respective ends and adjacent its base end as illustrated at H). An enlarged end II terminates the base end of the anchor piece. An upturned eye I2 is disposed within the free end of the anchor and through which the G string passes. The anchor is preferably made of relatively thin material and is broadest midway its respective ends, as illustrated at [3.

When the G string is to be secured to the anchor the end I5 is passed through the eye [2. It is looped over the central body portion of the anchor as illustrated at [4 and the free end [5 is passed over the top of the anchor and below the underside of the G string 8. The free end of the anchor is upturned as illustrated at I5A so that when tension is placed within the G string the knot thus formed, as illustrated in Fig. 3, may be drawn taut relative to the free anchor which maintains the same in a condition to be quickly and easily removed when it is desired to remove the G string from the anchor piece.

That portion of the anchor adjacent the enlarged end H is formed into a neck like shank as illustrated at I 6. The enlarged end H passes through the hole 6 and the neck of the anchor then passes into the slit 1 in which position it is locked securely when tension is applied upon the string. The relieving of tension upon the string permits the removal of the anchor from the hole and from the tail piece.

The foregoing description of my device has been drawn with special reference to its use with the G string of a violin as this ordinarily is the most expensive to replace. However, my device may be applied with equal facility to other of the violin strings, the repair of which may be necessary.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming Within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a connector for the G string of stringed instruments comprising in combination an anchor made of a single piece being offset at its opposite ends, with said offsets being in opposite directions, with an enlargement terminating one of the ends, with the terminal being in the form of a ball, and an eye being formed in the other one of the oifset ends.

2. An anchor for the G string of a violin having an upturned eye at its one end and a downturned cylindrical portion at its other end, said downturned portion terminating in a sphere, and said ends being secured together by an intermediate section that is rectangular in cross section with the intermediate portion adjacent the ends being of a lesser cross sectional area than the remainder of the intermediate portion and the overall length of the anchoring device being less than the distance separating the bridge and the tailpiece of the violin.

WALTER C. REPASS. 

